Community optometry pathway improves diagnosis and treatment timeliness for nAMD

Implementing a community optometry-based decision-making pathway for neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) improves diagnosis accuracy and treatment timeliness, according to a study.

This approach not only reduces the strain on hospital services but also increases the proportion of patients receiving treatment within 2 weeks of referral while decreasing false-positive referrals.

This 2-phase retrospective study assessed nAMD referrals between April 2019 and March 2021. Phase 1 (2019-2020) involved 394 patients referred to a hospital-based clinic, while Phase 2 (2020-2021) included 414 patients instead referred to a community optometry pathway for decision-making.

There was a significant improvement in diagnosis and treatment timelines with the optometry pathway. In Phase 1, 104 new cases of nAMD were diagnosed, with 85% receiving treatment within 2 weeks. In Phase 2, 230 new cases were diagnosed, and 94% of those patients began treatment within 2 weeks. The proportion of diagnoses and timely treatments were both significantly higher in Phase 2.

Reference
Sanders FWB, John R, Jones P, et al. A Novel Optometry-Led Decision-Making Community Referral Refinement Scheme for Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration Screening. Clin Optom (Auckl). 2024;16:293-299. doi: 10.2147/OPTO.S470577. PMID: 39563963; PMCID: PMC11573688.